Shock-absorber.



PATEN'I'ED APR. 16, 1907.

P. W. BATTERSHALL.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

ARPLIGATIQN FILED FEB. 10, 1906.'

FIGJ

F l G12 INVENTDR UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

FLETCHER W. BTTERSHALL, OF ALBANY, NEV YORK.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

when such movement is sudden, violent, v0r.

of great force it is restrained in proportion to the siuldenness, violence, and force of said movement and thc saine is rendered gentle, easy, and uniform.

'ilie device or machine may be employed so as to restrain the motion reciprocating or direct of any parto another machine or in articular may beused to control the rebound or compression, as desired, of. springs on vehicles. When so used, the device is popularly called a shock-absorber, an'd ias for its purpose to cause the body of such vehicle to ride easily over rough surfaces by res trai i'iing and softening the violent rebound I of the springs after compression. I attain ment is to be controlled with respect to al1- these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to similar parts in the two views ofthe device shown.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the device, and Fig. 2 a front elevation thcrcof, both views showing the device attached to the libdy-frame of a vehicle X and to the spring Y of the running-gear of a` vehicle. 4

is a friction plate or jaw fastened by any suitable attachment to the body whose moveframe of a vehicle Xn E is another friction plate or j aw .facing B and connected with or hung from B by one or more links A A', which are pivoted on studs other bodv-as, for example, to the bodyor bolts passing through B and E, said links allowing E to move freelv with a vertical movement parallel to B. One such link isspllcient if pivotcd in slots cut in the center lines ol B -and E; but two liiiks are preferred,

as shown. It the action of thse links in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February l0, 1906. Serial No. 300,452.

Patented April 16, i907.

constraining the jaws B and E to approach each other and forcibly grip a plate moving between them or to separate and free 'such plate, according'to the direction cf the niotion of said plate, that comprises theessen- 'tial feature of this device.

I know that others have used a plate 011.60

not claim the broad principle, but confine myself to the particular hind of friction de- "f vice here described or its equivalent.

and E are designed to grip by friction or to release, according to the direction -of its niotion. It may-be of any shape, but preferably iiat, thin, and of good breadth to give ample friction-surface. It made thin and 7o sway of-a vehicle if attached to the rnnning-V gear thereof, Y, as shown. It is immaterial whether the members B or H be attached to the moving body or Whether they ne sever# ally attached to two bodies movin in relation to each other. The. 'member `movea between the Amembers B and E, which are brou ht into contact therewith b the weightl of E 1f the device be used verticay or by the .89 additional aid-'of asprin AS, which ma be' flat, spiral, or'of any suite le form, and w* ich'l s ring may be adjusted to move the member EP in relation to the member B in either direction, up or down, or with any desired degree of force dependent upon t 1e force of the spring used' or'upon any suitable'device (not` shown) for varying the tension of said spring. The links A A determine the relative posi- 1 tion of the members B andE and being swivA 99 eled, as shown, allow-the member=E tomove.' to a limited extentin relation to the member B. The members iB and E where they" touch the member H act as friction-surfaces and may be lined, if preferred, with any suitable friction material R R.

To illustrate the action of the device, if the member B be suddenly drawn upward and the member II be suddenly drawn downward, as on the recoil ol an elliptical vehicle-spring tothe upper and lower leaves of which 'said members are supposed to -be severally attached, the slight friet ion between the members E, B, 'and H- will cause the member E to adhere to the member II and be drawn downward, 'and the links A limit such down'.-

roc

bar moving in a friction device before 4anddo H, represents the plate which thejaws B 65 tempered, it is iiexible and allows for the-side .Ward movement of the member E according tothe degree ofv singularity of said links with the' members E. and IBl and cause to be drawn more or less forcibly toward the memvehicle-spring, such motion is not checked,

"ze for they member H, being in slight cor'itact` ber B,and hence will bind the member H between said friction surfaces R R and will retard the motion of the member II down-l l .Ward and the motion of the member B upward in .proportion to the violence and suddenness of said motion, rendering the same gradual and easv, for the, pressureo-the members E and uponthemember H will be lessened in proportion as the movement of the members H and Bis retarded. When movements in directions o posite to the movements aforesaid take p ace,`as when B moves downward and II moves upward on the supposed compression'of an elliptical with the member E, moves E upward, and the links A move the member E away from the member B, and thus relievethe frietion'btween the '.rnembers H, E, and B..

ence bv the faction, as above illustrated,

and under 'the articular application of the'- dev'ice assum said. vehicle -:s`prings will have a free and ummpeded movement'. downward; but excessive and violent recoil from `such' movement ische'eked and retarded in direct proportion to the violence, suddenness, and force of 'such' recoil.

The `gripping or retarding action of this device may be varied by changing the angularity of the links A'A with the members B and E, or, in other' words, by changing.' the ratio between the width and thickness 'of the member H and the length of the links A A. The nearer the links A a )preach a right angle (under conditions' orest) with the member 'B the greater will be the gripping or retarding e'lect of the device. Said eilect can also be adjusted by any suitable device The advantages of this device over other.

' devices .employed vfor the same purpose are,

first, it automaticallvr takes up' wear; second,

`it automatically adjusts the friction to the strain; third it is-not brought into action by slightf movcnientuand thuswill lallow full resiliencyto 2a,"veliicle-s|iring wlxcn the 'n'io-4v tion thereofjdocs not "become excessive; l fourth,` 1ts retardingpowcr 1s in proportion to thci'suilde'nnessand violence of' the movement vsougr'htuto be restrained; iifth, it will' restrain motion in vone direction or in both e Saleen-fr directions, as desired; sixth, it is capable of adjustment to all conditions; seventh, it is cheaper in manufacture than any other device used. for the same purpose and broken or .damaged parts can be easily, quickly, and

cheaply replaced or repaired,

I c aim-* 1 1. In a machine for restraining amoving body by friction, two friction-plates actingr upon that body and a linker links movably connecting said friction-plates and pivoted on both of them so as to allow one frictionplate to move longitudinally and toward and away from the' other.

2`- In a machine for restraining a moving body by friction, two friction-plates acting upon that body and a link or links movably connecting said'friction-plates and pivoted on both of them, vand a spring or springs forcing said friction-plates into Contact with said moving body. A

3. In a machine for restraining the recoil of springs of vehicles vby friction, a frictionclutch fastened to the superstructure of said vehicle and acting upon `a bar fastened to Vthe running-gear ofA said vehicle, said friction-clutch consisting of two friction-plates and a link orlinks movably connecting'said friction-plates and pivoted on both of them -so as to Aallow' one friction-plate to movelongitudinallyand, toward and away from the other. A i

4. In a machine for restraining the vibration of sprinv's of vehicles by friction, a 'frictionclutch a aptedv to act upon a bar fastened to the'spring-Seat of said vehicle, said frictionclutc 1 consisting of two friction-plates and a link or links movably connecting said friction-plates iind pivoted on both of them, and

a spring or springs forcing said friction-plates into contact `with said bar.

5. In a machine for restraining the recoil of springs of vehicles by friction, a means of automatically propor'tioning the amount of said friction to the .violence of the recoil, said meansconsisting of a friction-plate at- :tachedto the superstructure of said vehicle and connectedl with another frictionplate b a link or links pivote'd on said frictionp atcs, a spring or springs urging said f riction-plates toward eachother, and a bar .attachedto the running-gear of said vehicl and interposed between and acted upon by said friction-plates. i

6.4 ln a machine for restraining the recoil ofsprings of vehicles, in combination withl -the superstructure and running-gear of soif vehicle, a friction-plate. attaclmi'l to sai' superstructure and connor-.ted with another friction-plato by one `or more links -pivotcd on'said friction-plates, a. bar interposed lie-f tween said friction-platesand'lattached to I i the running-gear of said vehicle.

7. luv a uiachinelor restr'mmgthe recoil IIO of springs of `vehdes, m combmat1on,` 'a together, arba-r miner cse-.d betweensam fnofriction-plate attached to the superstructprf ti0n-p1ates audattac ed to' thefrumlng-gear of said vehicle, 'aothe'r frictionplante` op#4 of sind vehicle. I posed no the iirst, almkor links connecting FIMCHER` w. m TJIERSHML--A 5 said rition-plates and pvoted onfboth "of WVtnesses:

JAMES B. FISHERV `them, a spring o1" 'springs'connected with 'STEPQQX @1F-mxo.

both of sind fTtion-plates and urging thm 

